Monotony Into Color
by fandomfanatic42
Summary: Kaori Miyazono and Kousei Arima couldn't be more different. However, when a mutual friend brings them together per Kaori's request, Kousei's monotonous world gets turned around into one of color. Switching Kousei and Kaori POVs, slight AU.
1. Chapter One: Piano

I glanced at my watch and frowned. Tsubaki and Watari were supposed to be here already, yet there I was; alone. Grumbling, I decided to text Tsubaki. Just as I went to start typing, I heard a melodica from afar.  
"Huh?" Shaking my head, I followed the sound and came across a girl playing, as I'd heard, a melodica; beautifully, I might add. Without meaning to, I stood and stared. She finished a minute later and our eyes met before she spoke to the children who had been watching her with admiration. They joined her playing and the scene could only be described as something out of a child's storybook. I almost didn't notice the pigeons that perched overhead as they played. It was as if everything around this girl moved to the rhythm she's set. I faintly heard footsteps as I watched; the girl was gathered her things. She turned around when I heard Tsubaki's voice from behind me.  
"You got here before us so you could meet her first! Nice one, Kousei!" The girl joined us as Tsubaki loudly beamed her greeting and flashed a bright smile. Tsubaki grinned back.  
"Well, I guess I had better introduce you all! Kousei, this is Kaori Miyazono. Kousei, this Kaori, the violinist I told you about. This guy back here is Watari Ryota, the dependable Friend A." Watari gave a small smile as Tsubaki wrapped her arm tight around his shoulder. I looked away to glance at the building a few yards from where we stood. I hadn't noticed we were so close to Towa Hall, where I had spent hours in countless piano competitions.  
"Shoot!" Kaori exclaimed suddenly, "If I don't hurry I'm gonna be late."  
"Late for what?" Tsubaki questioned, looking concerned.  
"I have a competition at Towa in ten minutes." She replied, her gaze shifting to the Hall.  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tsubaki replied, dragging Watari by the arm. Kaori took hold on my hand, practically staring me down,though her smile stayed.  
"You wanna come along?" She asked. I nodded, mesmerized for a second in her gaze. She and I followed Watari and Tsubaki. We got to the hall in the nick of time, surprisingly.  
"See you guys in a bit! I've gotta go backstage." Kaori grinned and went to join the other participants.  
"So, Kousei. What do you think?" Tsubaki's question would have been surprising had she not done similar things in the past.  
"She's," I paused. I just met the girl! How was I supposed to feel? Kaori had me wrapped around her finger the moment she was a bit cheesy, but I gave a small smile. "She's amazing." I finished, somewhat flustered. Tsubaki looked positively ecstatic.  
"You like her!" She exclaimed. I chuckled dryly and scratched my neck at her outburst.  
"Dude, you do. Don't act like you don't! Kaori's just as smitten with you, man, trust me." Watari spoke with conviction. I knew he and Tsubaki had had this set up from the start. Kaori's friends with Tsubaki, so I'm sure they helped each other out somehow. Then again, that just an inference. I was clueless as to what had really transpired.  
"You sure about that?" I asked. Both Watari and Tsubaki nodded confidently.  
"Come on! Let's go get good seats." I followed my friends into the auditorium and had momentary déja vú. I'd been in here countless times, rarely as a spectator, but I knew Towa Hall better than I knew the piano keys I could no longer hear. About fifteen minutes into the competition, Kaori went up on stage. Tsubaki had to rouse Watari from sleep, but I didn't pay them very much attention. Kaori glanced at her accompanist, and appeared to take deep breath. The accompanist played a single note before she chimed in. Kaori wasn't playing the score we'd heard thrice before as it was written. She plays with moxie, pride, emotion. The ones I'd played like that had earned me a hit on a the head and regret I still carried with me. Hearing Kaori play was something I'd remember forever. She had the entire audience captured from the first note, then continued to keep us on the edge of our seats with the rest of the piece. As she played, I could almost see colors dancing around her, coming from her violin. The accompanist struggled to keep up, but she played on without a care. When she finished, Kaori bowed, then exited. Afterwards, we (being Watari, Tsubaki, and I) caught up with her.

"How'd I do?" Kaori asked, sounding genuinely eager for my opinion. She been given flowers by a couple of little girls, along with adamant praise; she accepted them gratefully before turning to me.

"You were amazing. Your playing was erratic, off score, and the poor accompanist could barely keep up with you, but I'm sure you'll win audience favorite." I blushed and met her steady gaze before continuing. "You were the best musician that played, in my opinion. No doubt you'll move on." She grinned, setting her flowers down next her violin case. What she did next surprised me more than her performance. Kaori kissed me, then whispered a goodbye, taking my hand and squeezing it, as if to say that she'd see me again soon. She waved to Tsubaki and Watari, then left.  
"Is there any way I could get her phone number from you, Tsubaki?" I was in a bit of daze from her kiss, but I shook it off and resolved to call or text her later. That is, if Tsubaki gives me her number.  
"Sure, lover boy. Give me your phone," She replied, taking out hers. I handed it over and a few seconds later, Tsubaki handed it back. I had a new contact under Kaori's name.  
"Thanks." I said, blushing a little. It was sort of out of character for me to get a girl's phone number, but I figured it'd socially unacceptable not to.  
"No problem. Listen, we've got practice in a little bit. Catch you later?" Tsubaki's question was rhetorical, so there was really no point in asking, but she did anyway.  
"Yeah. Have fun." I waved at them, and left.

* * *

Later, I found myself texting Kaori. Nothing flashy; a simple 'hi, this is so-and-so, when can I see you again?'. She responded quickly with: "Hey Kousei! Does tomorrow after school work?" I smiled despite myself, sending a response immediately to take her up on her offer. I halfway expected my mother to come in and check up on me, as she always did, but she'd been dead for just over a year. I missed her every day. My house, empty with her gone and my dad on one of his frequent and long business trips. It was getting to the point where I couldn't really remember the daily sounds of family life. I shook the thoughts away as my phone buzzed. Kaori was calling.

"Hello?"  
"Hi, Kousei. What's up?" Her reply was quick, cheerful as always. I smiled.  
"Not much. I'm really bored."  
"Me too. So, about tomorrow. Can we meet in the music room?" I wasn't phased by her query. Two child music prodigies meeting in a music room makes sense.  
"Yeah. Don't expect me to play anything, though." I could see her frown in my mind's eye.  
"Why not, if you don't mind me asking?" Kaori wasn't asking to be rude, I knew, but it upset me to think about why I'd given up something I loved.  
"I'll explain tomorrow. I'm tired. See you tomorrow, yeah?" I asked, yawning  
"If you show up, that is. Good night." She, too, yawned. I chuckled before replying.  
"Night." With that, we hung up. I turned off my phone and bedroom light, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

 **Hello, my loves! I hope you enjoyed that. This chapter was Beta'd by the lovely pyrog9991. More to come soon.  
-Jen**


	2. Chapter Two: Violin

School dragged on forever, as it always did. I love to learn, but it feels like we spend ages in school, sometimes learning things we won't even need. I'm a violinist, why would I need to know long math equations? That's the education system for you, I guess.

* * *

When the bell rang to signal the end of the day, I gathered my bag and violin case and made a beeline for the music room. Kousei's already there when I walk in. Not surprising. I clear my throat. He turns and smiles, waving. I shake my head and set my stuff down, sitting on a windowsill of one of the outrageously large windows.  
"So, what's up?" I ask. Kousei shrugs in response. "There's gotta be something interesting you can tell me about yourself." He looks deep in thought for a second. There was something he'd mentioned he wanted to say yesterday, but I'm not sure if he remembers.  
"Well, I told you not to expect any playing from me today. I figured you'd want to know why." I return his shrug.  
"I'm sure it has something to do with why you quit competition, but it doesn't look like you're ready to tell me any of that."  
"Thank you." Thank you? What for? Kousei's an adorable little nerd, but he can be confusing.  
"For what?" I ask.  
"For being considerate. Tsubaki would pry until I tell her, probably in tears." Oh. Well, duh. I feel stupid now.  
"You're welcome." I don't stop the smile from creeping onto my face.

* * *

Kousei and I have spent the majority of our free time over the past month either together or with Watari and Tsubaki. I've had to take a rain check to practice for a few competitions, but other than that, we've been practically joined at the hip. An invitational's coming up, and I'm going to convince him to be my accompanist.

After poking around a bit, I find Kousei on the roof, eating his usual lunch of egg salad sandwiches. I didn't say anything, just sat beside him.  
"Afternoon, Kaori. Have you come to join me in my misery?" Kousei joked. I laughed off his words and remembered what it was I wanted to tell him. We chatted mindlessly for a bit, but after a few minutes I stood and faced him, looking right into his eyes, almost staring him down. It's now or never.  
"There's a competition coming up, and I want you to be my accompanist." There you go, self! Be assertive. Kousei finished his sandwich and looked up at me; for a moment he didn't react as he processed my words.  
"I-I'm sorry, but I can't." Both of us frowned. How could he just outright refuse? People still called him the human metronome; he played scores exactly as they were written. Kousei had always seemed in control of his emotions while playing; unlike the others I've seen, he's something else entirely. I only saw two of his many recitals, but I took up violin to have the chance of playing with him.  
"Why not? You're amazing!" My praise didn't have any affect. Not any that I could see, at least.  
"No. I'm sorry, but I can't be your accompanist. I gave up piano completely. I've only played to check notes here and there transcribing pop songs." What? Gave up? Kousei never fails to confuse me sometimes.  
"Gave up? How could you, an amazing pianist, just give up out of the blue?" He was practically my idol. Kousei Arima's making a comeback, one way or another.  
"My teacher died." His voice was strangely flat, sort of devoid of emotion, and yet had a certain cutting edge to it, with enough power to silence me instantly.  
"I'm sorry, Kousei. If you're not ready to return to the piano, then I won't force you." I don't know much about grief, but I had hope that, somehow, my words or actions would make him feel a little better.  
"She was my mom." The pain in his eyes was overpowering, I could see why he was reluctant to admit this to me. It hurt to see him so emotionally drained. I wanted to hold him in my arms and never let go.  
"I can't imagine how awful that is. I'm so sorry for bringing it up." I could see that it wasn't just me about to cry. Kousei looked to be blinking back tears as we spoke. He seemed to notice a similar expression on my face, as he brought his body closer to mine. I take hold of his hands, linking our fingers.  
"It's okay. You didn't know. If you're so set on me accompanying you, then I'll be willing to try." Our eyes met and he kissed my cheek. It wasn't a full yes, but I'm glad he's willing to give it a chance. I don't want him to become overwhelmed or anything, so for now I'll go easier on him. He's doing this for me, after all. If Kousei's willing to return to music, them I'll try my hardest to ensure this works out.  
"Yes! Starting now, Kousei, I'm your motivator. A driving force! Meet me in music room again today." I flashed a grin at him and left.

Later, Kousei and I meet up in the music room like before. He smiles at me when I walk in, setting my stuff down.  
"Hey, Kaori." Kousei smiles. I return the gesture and sit beside him on the piano bench.  
"What are we going to play at the competition?" He asks. I stand up before responding.  
"Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso!"

Practice over the following weeks was intense, but on competition day, I knew we were ready. I grabbed Kousei's hand when we entered. He looked up at me, and smiled. Here goes nothing.

 **This chapter was Beta'd by the amazing pyrog991! Thanks so much. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, feel free to leave a review.  
-Jen**


	3. Chapter Three: Piano

Kaori didn't let go of my hand until it nearly time for our performance. She put her hands on my shoulders, her forehead pressed against mine.  
"Let's go out there and give it everything we've got." She said. I found no fault, or waver in her voice, or reassuring smile. The music was a part of us now; Kaori went easy on me, but I knew that when the next time rolled around, she wouldn't.  
I stand, giving a feeble nod. Our names were called, and to the stage entrance we went. Before playing, we bowed to the audience and the judges. I sat upon the bench, taking a deep breath. Kaori was poised to begin. She waited until I played a few notes. The music from our instruments medled together seamlessly. After a minute or so, however, I felt the notes slipping away from me; they were there, but didn't reach my ears. My mother's decline in health, it seemed, had brought about the standstill of my hearing. My eyes flicked over to Kaori, who returned my gaze with a small smile. I tried focusing less on my emotions, and more on the piano in front of me. Bit by bit, the notes returned me; all the pieces fit together inside my mind. In no time, we finished. Before returning backstage, we bowed again to the audience and judges. For the first time in a while, I felt confident in myself. Afterwards, we stayed to get the results of the competition; we'd be moving on. Kaori grinned at me, taking hold of my hand. I gave a smile back.  
"Come on, we have to go celebrate! What do you say we go by a cafe or something?" She asks. I registered what she said, but didn't say anything for a second. It sounded like she asking me out on a date, but I wasn't going to inquire about it. So, I nodded.  
"That sounds great." I reply, leading her outside of the building. There happened to be a small restaurant nearby. Kaori looked really excited about it; she grinned at me, eyes alight. Her smile was one I with which I was familiar, and could be compared to one of a young child at Disneyland. We stepped inside and ordered our meals. I wasn't particularly hungry, but Kaori ordered a plate of heavily decorated pancakes. I shook my head at her, receiving a laugh in return. I chuckled with her as she stuck a piece of pancake into her mouth, grinning with delight.  
"You have a penchant for sweets," I remark. She nods.  
"I have a penchant for anything delicious," Kaori replies. Normally, my brain would think this a simple post-competition ritual of sorts, but it was beginning to seem more like a date. Huh. Me, the human metronome, on a date with flighty, tempestuous Kaori Miyazono. Watari and Tsubaki would get a very big kick out of that. I pictured them chuckling in my mind. It was calming, strangely.  
"Kaori, is this a date?" I blurt, not intending to. She stops mid-chew, glaring up at me.  
"I'd like it to be," She says swallowing.  
"That would be lovely." I say, taking her hand into mine, entwining our fingers.  
"Don't go all mushy on me now! One date doesn't mean we're in a relationship. I guess it could, but I don't have much experience."  
"Neither do I." I lean over and kiss her, letting it say what I currently couldn't articulate without stumbling over words, flustered. It's a quick kiss, bringing with it a sort of finality. When we break away, Kaori cups my face in her hands, smiling contently. She brushes her nose against mine. A force of nature is she. I found myself returning her smile. When she finishes her pancakes, I offer to pay for her food, but she waves me off and sets an ample amount of cash on the table. Kaori takes my hand and leads me outside to the curb. She sits, and motions for me to join her. I do, gladly.  
"What are we, Kousei?" She asks, looking into my eyes. Her expression is one of complete seriousness, rare for her. I hesitate for a few second before answering.  
"I'm not sure." As the words come out of my mouth, I hear the uncertainty in my voice. The same I heard in hers. "I'm not too fond of labels." I finish, rubbing my thumb across her hand in an attempt at reassurance. It seems to work, because the next time she speaks, her tone is as always, bright and bubbly.  
"Well, if it's on my shoulders, then I say that we're a couple. I like the sound of that." Kaori says. My face breaks into a grin, as does hers. I cup her face in my hands, as she did me, and kiss her. Her lips are warm and soft on mine. We let go, grinning like idiots. She places a soft kiss to my nose and stands up, pulling me with her.  
"You wanna go to the park?" She asks. I nod in response.

* * *

The few weeks or so pass by quickly. Tsubaki wanted to spend a day hanging out. Like a regular teenager were her words, though. Why she decided that spending at least three hours of a Saturday at an unused playground, I don't know.  
"We haven't done anything like this in a while." She remarks, grinning madly.  
"Tsubaki, I spent two hours with you yesterday." Watari points out, chuckling Tsubaki shakes her head at him, joining in her laughter. Seeing their interaction never fails to make me laugh as well, and for a solid twenty seconds, all four of us are laughing like mad men. In the middle of an old kids' park. Alone. Well, I suppose that's what comes about from close friendship. When we all stop to catch breath, Kaori slips her hand in mine. A simple gesture, yet the moment I saw Tsubaki took notice, I began to regret the entirety my life. She gasps quite loudly, nudging Watari. Kaori and I exchange glances. She looks confused.  
"Tsubaki's being weird again, Kao," I say. She nods understandingly, leaning her head on my shoulder.  
"What?" Tsubaki looks not only a bit surprised, but kind of confused.  
"Um-" I begin, flustered. Kaori butts in, luckily.  
"We're a couple. Kinda recent. I'm sorry we haven't told you. Kousei wants me to himself." She says, her face turning pink as she giggles. Watari glances between Kaori and I, shrugging. His gaze turns to Tsubaki, and they both break into shit-eating grins.  
"Go you guys! I told you so, Watari." Tsubaki says, punching his arm playfully. Kaori tightens her grip on my hand, kissing my cheek.

* * *

Walking home that night is an entirely different venture. Kaori walks by side, hand in mine. Watari and Tsubaki trail behind. Well, until they run ahead, leaving Kaori and I alone in the semi-darkness.  
"They've been acting kinda weird lately," She remarks.  
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they were far too excited earlier." I reply, letting go of her hand and slipping an arm around her waist.  
"Probably." She mutters, stopping. I walk a bit further before realizing. I turn around as Kaori moves to join me. I met her in the middle. She drapes her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her, pressing her lips to mine. I wrap mine around her waist and return her kiss. Her hands end up in my hair, as if to bring me closer. When we detach, Kaori takes my hands in mine.  
"I'm so happy I met you," She whispers.  
"So am I," I whisper back. I kiss her cheeks, then her lips, slowly. This won't be our last kiss, but I want to savor the moment of being with her, alone in near darkness. In that moment, I realize just how much Kaori Miyazono has changed my life. My heart. My very nature.


	4. Chapter Four: Violin

When Kousei kisses me, it feels like he wants to hold on to the moment. And I do, too. I want to stay in his arms, but I can't. My parents are probably worried sick… I did text mom earlier to let her know that I was alright, so I'm sure they're at ease. When we let go, I take his hand in mine, meeting his gaze.  
"I need to go home," I blurt. Kousei doesn't miss a beat. He nods, leading me away.

It doesn't take us long to get to the bakery where I live with my parents.  
"End of the line, mister," I joke, wrapping my arms around Kousei, hugging him tightly. When I let go, he brings my face up to his and kisses my cheek.  
"See you," He whispers, dropping his hands, and leaving me stunned for a second. Geez, Kousei. Way to make me even more attracted to you. I wave as he begins walk off, and, receiving one in return, open the thankfully unlocked door to the shop.  
"There's our girl! How've you been, Kaori?" My dad beams. I set down my things by the door and take a seat in the chair nearest to me. I return his grin.  
"I'm great, Dad. Really great." I say. My mom turns and sets a plate of food in front of me.  
"We're glad, dear." She says, smiling.  
"Thanks." I say, eyeing up the steaming dish and reaching for the utensils in her hand. She releases her grip as mine tightens.  
"You're welcome Kaori. Eat up, you must be starving." I do, gladly. My parents made sweets and all kinds of foods when I was growing up, but it wasn't until a few months ago that I convinced them to set up a business for profit from it.

When I finish eating, my mother quickly notices and sets a glass in front of me. I could have gotten it and the food myself. However, my parents were ones to dote on me, despite the fact that I could take care of myself. I smile and take a sip, immediately recognizing the drink as cherry Coke. It's unhealthy, but, after realizing that I wasn't living as freely as I should, I've been taking less precautions on food. I'm not overweight, and if my metabolism decides to quit on me, I won't have very much trouble losing any weight either. Shaking my head to get rid of these thoughts, I turn my gaze to my mother.  
"How would guys feel if I had a boyfriend?" I ask shyly. I didn't tell them right away, mostly because I can be such a scaredy cat sometimes, but better sooner rather than later. I was still a bit scared, but it didn't seem that bad anymore.  
"We'd be happy for you. That boy from earlier?" My mom asks. I nod, feeling embarrassed and blushing.  
"As long as he treats you well," My dad chimes in.  
"He does. He's amazing, and the reason I started playing violin!" Both my parents look at me and smile at my outburst.  
"What's his name?" My dad asks.  
"Kousei Arima," I reply. "He plays piano as my accompanist." At this, my mom looks a bit surprised.  
"You managed to grab a hold of that Arima boy you used to gush over?" She asks, taking a seat next to me on one of the adjoining stools. I nod, my face growing warmer. I must look like a tomato by now.  
"Yup. Our friend Tsubaki introduced us. It was my idea, but she went through with it." I reply, remembering the day with fondness. When Kousei looked at me that day, I knew that we'd change each other's lives, whether we realized it or not. My parents smile at my words, sharing a glance. I notice, but pay it no mind.  
"Tsubaki." My mother begins thoughtfully, like she's trying to remember where she's heard the name before.  
"You're close with her, right?" I nod.  
"All of us are close. There's four of us, and we're really tight-knit." I reply, flashing a small smile.  
"Good. We're happy you're fitting in, dear. Go ahead and jump in the shower, Kao." My dad says. I nod and run up the stairs, leaving the dinner table behind. I quickly grab a towel and pajamas from my room and go to that bathroom. I'm not in long; just to wash my hair and body. When I get out, I dry off and dress quickly, heading straight to my room. I wrap my hair in a towel and lay down. I don't mean to, but I fall asleep quickly.

The next morning is just like the others, with one exception. I wake up, eat, get ready, and walk to school. However, instead of going alone, Kousei tags along. When I leave, he's standing outside, waiting for me.  
"Why are you here? I'm not complaining, but why?" I ask. I'm so confused. I can walk to school myself, thank you very much.  
"I want to walk with you." Kousei replies, as if his intentions were obvious, and they were, glaringly.  
"Well duh, but why today? It's the end of the year." My eyes meet his, holding his steady gaze. He takes my hand, linking our fingers, and begins leading me away.  
"I love you." Kousei mutters, quietly. I almost didn't pick it up, but our closeness made it easier. Lately, he'd been holding me to him by my waist, like he was now, more and more. I didn't mind. It was nice, the way he held onto me so tightly, as if I'd disappear the second he let go.  
"I love you, too, goofball, but now isn't exactly the best time to say something like that. It should be romantic." I reply, my eyes scanning his face. For a second, while he processed what I said. His expression seemed like one of anxiety, like he was scared, and I didn't blame him. Who wouldn't be scared? Saying he loved me first… My eyes met his, and all I read on his face was pure happiness, as cheesy as it sounds. I pressed my lips to his and smiled.

Neither him nor I said anything for the remaining duration of our walk. It actually felt very nice to walk, hand in hand, to school with someone, and my boyfriend no less. We parted when we reached the hallway our respective classes. We weren't late; it looked like we were early. I gave Kousei's hand a quick squeeze, then we split up to go to our separate classrooms.

When lunch rolls around, Tsubaki and Watari join Kousei and I on the roof. We sit in a circle, or a poor imitation of one, which was closer to what it actually looked like. While we ate, I thought about how lucky we all were to have such amazing friends. We each brought our personalities to the table and it worked, despite our different interests and hobbies. It worked, though, and ours was a tight-knit group. I finished eating first and turned around, not fully, stretching out my legs.  
"Do you guys want to catch a movie with me Friday night?" I ask. Tsubaki and Watari shake their heads.  
"I've got practice and Watari has family coming over. Sorry, Kaori. Maybe Kousei can go with you." She says, smiling.  
"I can speak for myself, thank you!" Watari exclaims, sticking his tongue out at Tsubaki. I laugh and shake my head. I hear Kousei laugh beside me, and soon, we're all laughing. I feel lightweight in that moment, as if all my cares had been washed away, replaced with a feathery happiness. It's nice; very nice, actually.


	5. Chapter Five (Final): Piano

Though I hadn't been guilt-tripped, I wasn't as ecstatic as Kaori was for our date-her words, not mine. Somehow, I'd convinced myself to join her in seeing a horror movie. An hour and a half later, I was, though I wasn't ready to admit it, quite scared. Kaori, holding tightly to my hand, led me out and onto the sidewalk.  
"Where to now?" I asked, meeting her gaze. She had a brilliant smile, which I returned gladly.  
"I don't know," She replied airily, swinging my hand in time with her steps. Our gazes met again; I saw a flicker of something in hers, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. I myself drag a bit behind Kaori as we walked. After a minute, she stopped and I nearly bumped into her. I glanced over at her; her expression was clear happiness and nostalgia. I tore my gaze away to our surroundings, a children's playground. It was familiar; I found a kitten abandoned here, and Tsubaki once found me hiding in a plastic tunnel when we were younger.  
"I haven't been here in forever," I remark, taking in the sight again.  
"I haven't either," Kaori replies, grins She runs over to the swing, plopping down on it, inviting me to join her. "Push me," She says. I chuckle in response, shaking my head.  
"What are you, three?" I joke, but I give in eventually. I hear Kaori's laugh, music to my ears. It was sort of coincidental, my thinking that, given the nature of our partnership. I wish I had realized, then, that sometimes a person can touch you, not in a physical sense, but in ways which aren't always present at the moment it happens.

I felt my eyes open and I jolted into reality. I stood at a pulpit of sorts, looking down at my messy scrawl upon a lined sheet of paper. The tears trickled from my eyes as I coughed and continued reading aloud the words written. I shall not repeat them here, for they belong in memory. I tried to shake the memories away, but they lingered in my mind. And on a such as today, it fits. Memories of the woman I love spinning around as her body is laid to rest. After the service, I barely notice a hand finds its way around my shoulders. I don't register that someone is next to me until a voice makes itself heard.  
"Kousei," Tsubaki. I turn my head, meeting her tear-filled gaze.  
"What is it?" I ask. "What could you want from me now? Can't I have a momentary peace?" I'm sure my voice comes out harsh, cold. Tsubaki doesn't recoil. Instead, her arm moves off my shoulder, her hands take their place on both.  
"Please don't shut me out again," She says quickly, almost fearfully.  
"I won't," I reply. I don't inquire as to Watari's whereabouts. Tsubaki doesn't tell me anything. She, surprisingly, leaves me with that, walking solemnly to her car. I notice her turning around, as if I'd follow her. I didn't, instead deciding to stay. I stood at the headstone, sitting and standing upon the mound of earth facing it, for another half hour. I did not cry, I was not angry. Merely disappointed, empty. I turned over thoughts and recollections as I sat, a fondness attached to each remembrance. I wished, vainly, selfishly, that I could have heard her voice once more, urging me into every new adventure with wild enthusiasm. I suppose I should have been thankful, having those years with her. I wasn't; stupidly, selfishly.

* * *

 **Hello readers! I thank you all for joining me on this ride. As the title says, this is the final chapter; I won't be writing a sequel, though I doubt any of you would want one. I hope you all enjoyed! This was beta'd by the lovely pyrog9991, so much thanks to them always. -Jen**


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